Karu’s blog

Nature has an interesting article on “…small non-governmental organization,
the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)” that helped fight pollution in Delhi. Interesting history of the CSE.

http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070212/full/445706a.html

Fascinating look at the environmental impact of clothes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/25/fashion/25pollute.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5088&en=757d51302b8b9276&ex=1327381200&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

“We’ve got fantastic standards when it comes to food, but it is all brand-new when it comes to clothes,” Mr. Barry admitted. “We have a lot to learn.”

In their efforts to buy green, customers tend to focus on packaging and chemicals, issues that do not factor in with clothing. Likewise, they purchase “natural” fibers like cotton, believing they are good for the environment.

But that is not always the case: while so-called organic cotton is exemplary in the way it avoids pesticides, cotton garments squander energy because they must be washed frequently at high temperatures, and generally require tumble-drying and ironing. Sixty percent of the carbon emissions generated by a simple cotton T-shirt comes from the 25 washes and machine dryings it will require, the Cambridge study found.

A polyester blouse, by contrast, takes more energy to make, since synthetic fabric comes from materials like wood and oil. But upkeep is far more fuel-efficient, since polyester cleans more easily and dries faster.”